Awakened Magic (The House of Rune Book 2)

by J. G. Massie

  “Well, well,” Amber gurgled. I have to admit, it was still a little creepy watching her grin up at me in her panther form. The idea of cats smiling is just...weird. “Look who’s the big shot all of a sudden. Why do I feel like I should be serving you margaritas and polishing your shoes with my tongue?”

  “Pfft... Dude, I would never ask you do anything that degrading.” I stroked her back, moving my hand from tail to head so it gave her a mini mohawk. “Just fetch me a coke and wash my car, then we’ll call it even. One coat of wax will be fine.” I ruffled her back a second time for good measure. “Mmm... Perhaps two coats, but I swear that’s all.”

  “Well, I for one never doubted you for a minute.” Isaac lazily chucked a dagger at the wraith hovering just ahead. Enemies had become few and far apart, but we still needed to stay sharp.

  “Liar,” I accused with a wink, finishing the wraith off as we raced by with a snap of my wrist.

  “Okay, the truth then,” he said with a noncommittal shrug. I tensed, not sure I really wanted to hear this. “I never actually cared in the first place.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Seriously, I didn’t care,” he repeated, assuring me there was nothing more to it. It was hard not to melt right then when he hit me with that panty-melting grin. “I was determined to protect you no matter what. Whether or not you were the chosen never had anything to do with it.” Deep down inside, I knew he was right. In fact, it was something I had feared for some time now. I knew he would never leave my side, regardless of what the trials proved.

  Part of me resented him for that. The rest of me loved him for it.

  “Yeah, that’s what I figured.” I buddy-punched him in the arm as we jogged along. Okay, it wasn’t exactly my smoothest move, but I didn’t know what else to do. “But at least now I don’t have to feel as guilty about it. Looks like I might be worth protecting after all.”

  “Understatement of the century. But yes, it’s probably worth not letting you die.” He laughed.

  Slowing as the surrounding danger dwindled, I looked up at the angry sky with intense satisfaction. Its spinning twirl had reversed direction, and the few wraiths that remained were being drawn back up into its center.

  Victory was ours, and a thundering roar of cheers rose up as fists pumped the air. Shifters pranced about, most still in their cat forms, while others chose their slightly...less modest form. Seriously, I don’t think I’ll ever get used to seeing so many naked people in one place. I glanced across the way and watched the other half of our group, whooping and hollering like they just won the Super Bowl. And why not? Heck, we earned this.

  There stood Turner, his glowing blade in hand as he watched the sky with a satisfied grin. Hair slick with sweat, eyes heavy with fatigue. I’m not sure I’d ever seen him look this happy. The poor guy was probably going to sleep for a week, but that was fine. Heck, we all might.

  Sensing my gaze, he turned in my direction and nodded his approval. I’m not sure why, but that tiny acknowledgment really meant something to me. Maybe it was because my mother hadn’t lived long enough to see me amount to anything, and now I finally had an opportunity to change that. Not in the eyes of my mother, of course, but in the eyes of my father. My father? Had I really just allowed that thought to sink in? Was I finally ready to accept it, to truly acknowledge it for the first time?

  Grinning, I waved to him. It was a stupid, innocent gesture, I know. I suppose it was just a feeble first attempt to acknowledge my father for who he really was.

  Suddenly, his head jerked back as his chest lurched.

  “Turner!” I screamed, arms pumping as I sprinted toward him at full speed. No matter how hard I tried to reach him, my sinking feet felt like they were pushing off mud. With a second jolt, his head jerked back even further. Stained with blood, the crimson tip of a sword blade ripped up through the front of his chest.

  The hand wrapping his forehead let go, and his body crumpled to the ground like a lifeless doll. And there he stood... Rising up to his full height, the seven-foot monster reached down and ripped his blade free, then licked the blood with a long, slow stroke of his tongue. Face pale as death, teeth filed down to sharp points, I couldn’t forget that face even if my life depended on it. Tegan...

  “No!” Everything moved in slow motion. Like a bad dream, it seemed like the faster I ran, the farther away he got. How could this have happened? How could he have—

  A swirling vortex of golden light snapped open at Tegan’s back, and the giant of a vampire took a sweeping step back. With more than half his body swallowed up by the light, he tauntingly wiggled his long fingers at me before whispering his final message. “And then there was one...”

  Isaac rushed up with a roar, his blade slashing through the space as the swirling doorway collapsed shut. A splash of golden sparkles trailed from the tip of his sword, but it was a split second too late. The doorway was gone, and so was Tegan.

  Skidding to a stop, I knelt down and gently lifted Turner’s head onto my lap. “I must be getting old,” he groaned, the weak words bubbling up from his bloody lips. “I never...even...sensed him—” A fit of violent coughing ensued, cutting him off short.

  “Hey, hey, everything is going to be okay,” I lied, dabbing at his mouth with a torn strip from my shirt. “You’re going to be just fine.”

  “Oh, I think we both know better than that,” he wheezed, eyelids fluttering.

  “Hey? Hey!” Rolling his head to the side, I lightly tapped his cheek. “Come on, Turner. Stay with me. Stay with me. Don’t you dare...” I couldn’t hold it back anymore as the tears began to flow. “Turner!” I gave him a light shake as my voice cracked. “Dad... Dad, please don’t leave me. Not again. Please, I can’t go through this again.”

  “I’m so sorry, Tessa.” His voice was strong in that instant, his eyes clear and sharp. “But you don’t have the luxury of living in the past. You must push forward.”

  “I can’t,” I wailed, dropping my head down onto his shoulder. “I’m not strong enough. I can’t do this anymore.”

  Gently, he lifted my head from his shoulder. Bloody hands cupped my face as he looked me dead in the eyes. “You can, and you will.” His expression softened, and he even managed a weak smile. “Because I, just like your mother did, believe in you, Tessa. I am grateful beyond words that I got the chance to see the woman you’ve become.” His voice trailed off to a whisper, and his eyes fluttered closed. “You will go on to do great things, Tessa. Great things indeed.”

  His chest sank with a final gasp and his body went limp in my arms.

  I wailed, a long, sorrowful cry that sent a scattering of birds rising up from the treetops. My heart was shattered, and I knew I would never be the same.

  Epilogue

  Sitting on the damp grass with an empty stare, I watched as the last white stone was placed on Turner’s grave. Numb to the bone, it didn’t even feel real. Shifters came and went, quickly paying their respects before moving on. Mostly, they were just doing their best to stay out of our way. Although they didn’t know him personally, he was largely viewed as a hero. Strange how that usually seems to happen only after you’re gone.

  Alone at last, we all took turns telling Turner stories, each of which inspired a bit of needed laughter. Funny part was that the stories were all pretty similar, and even somewhat predictable. He wasn’t the easiest guy to get along with, but I suppose that was part of his charm.

  When it was time for my turn, all I could do was sit there quietly. For me, it was just too soon. I wasn’t in any shape to tell stories of the past. Heck, just yesterday I had been teased with a promising future with my real father. I had it dangled before my eyes before watching it get snatched away. Sometimes I had to wonder how life could be so cruel.

  “Guys, would you mind giving me a minute?” I whispered into the crook of my arm, face down, knees pulled up to my chest. “I really need to be alone.”

  My friends honored my wish without any hesitati
on, each one lightly touching me on the back as they passed by. It was a small gesture of support, but one I greatly appreciated.

  One hand in particular lingered near the back of my neck, and of course I knew who it was. But when I glanced up at Isaac, he wasn’t his usual self at all. Not that I would I expect him to be cheery at Turner’s funeral, but his expression wasn’t exactly sadness either. Intense, dangerous, it was the look of a man thinking only about murder. It was first time his look actually gave me the chills.

  “I’m going to find him,” he said, eyes smoldering with the promise of extreme violence. “I swore an oath to protect you, and by extension that meant to protect your family as well. I failed, and that failure places me squarely in your debt.” I knew better than to try and argue the point. Although I didn’t view him as being in my debt, I could see that his mind was made up. He dropped to one knee and took me by the hand, eyes still holding me in their icy grip. “I’m going to find him”—his grip tightened—“and I’m going to kill him.”

  “I forbid it.” The words just came out without any coherent thought. “Because I’m the one who is going to kill him.” For a long time we gazed into each other’s eyes, as if our stares alone were about to battle it out. Then he lowered his eyes and nodded, conceding that I actually meant what I said.

  “My lady.” He rose to his feet and left, leaves crunching beneath his feet as he disappeared into the forest. We had never had a moment like that before, and I hoped to never have one again. Our love for each other was not in question, but boundaries had to be set. Tegan would die by my hands, and that was all there was to it.

  My name is Tessa Cooper...

  And I am the last Keeper...

  The End

  The House of Rune Series:

  White Shadows

  Awakened Magic

  Heart of the Keeper

  Heart of the Keeper

  Prologue

  A welcome breeze gently kissed the sweat on the back of my neck—a modest relief, cool and refreshing, but gone in an instant. A summer this hot and humid wasn’t fit to support life, but it was going to take more than a little heat to stop me. As my heart pumped a thousand beats per second, my lungs were on fire. Pushing myself this hard was pure torture, not to mention dangerous, but how else could I discover my true limits?

  Limits... True physical limits. Is that even a real thing? I can’t help but wonder if that’s just something we make up, a conservative mind-set that ensures we’ll never attempt to push beyond the boundaries already set by others. Are limits real? I think it’s time to find out.

  Tattered and torn, the straw dummies set around the yard had sure seen better days. Already ripped and punctured from countless weapon strikes, their already long day wasn’t about to get any easier. Hair damp and slick, I shook my head in a vigorous spray of sweat. My five-second break was up. After all, it’s not like my enemies would give me much of a chance to recuperate.

  As I went from standing still to a full sprint in two seconds flat, my wrists twitched as I streaked past the first two dummies. Smooth as butter, my twin blades flashed. Decapitated straw heads were just starting to roll off the bodies when I dropped my blades and transitioned my sprint into a series of handsprings.

  Hands to feet, hands to feet, I flipped along the worn path like a runaway slinky. With each revolution, my hands struck my chest, each flick of my wrists sending silver missiles to either side. Straw dummies shook while getting peppered with daggers, their bodies quivering with violent impact.

  On my last flip, I stomped the ground hard. Springing high in the air, I completed two revolutions while emptying the last of my blades in a blur. Not a single one touched the ground. I didn’t miss too often these days, and certainly not immobile targets like these.

  My swords had been abandoned and my dagger sheaths were empty, but I still had a trick or two up my sleeve. Sprinting towards the second wave of dummies, I clapped my hands and clicked my silver rings together. Nearly invisible to the naked eye, they produced an impossibly thin silver thread. With a looping motion, I wrapped the first dummy and pulled. With almost no effort, it sliced clean in half.

  I streaked towards the tree at the far end of the lot. It wasn’t really part of my training equipment, but I was running out of practice dummies and I didn’t like the way it was looking at me.

  Slamming my foot against the tree, I redirected my momentum and sprinted straight up its trunk. I must have looked like a Hollywood ninja from one of those corny late-night B movies. Breaking up through the tree top in a bloom of fluttering leaves, I completed a slow back flip with my arms out straight. Defying gravity as I hung in the air, for that fleeting moment I was free. Weightless, soaring like a bird, all the world’s problems were lifted from my shoulders, if only for a second.

  Completing my twist, I refocused my energy and dove straight back down into the tree. Hands circling left and right in weaving pattern as I nosedived, my silver wire sheared off branches that were thicker than my leg. Pulling it closer to my body, I held it dead center as I dive-bombed towards the ground.

  The thick oak split right down the center until my feet hit the ground. With a final tug, I ripped the wire free, the closer half snapping off like nothing. Seconds later, the second half tipped over with a crackling rip. And that was that, the evil tree would never hurt anyone again. It was a service that would aid all mankind.

  Sensing a presence behind me, I clicked the rings together again and the tiny thread disappeared. These rings would definitely require some further testing, but I liked what I was seeing so far.

  I spun back without thinking and snatched the thrown wooden sword right out of the air. In reality, what might have looked like a close call wasn’t really that close at all. My reflexes were pretty sharp these days. Still, a little warning before chucking something at the back of my head wouldn’t hurt.

  “Thought you could use a couple training partners actually capable of hitting back,” Lindsey said, twirling her practice blade in one hand while circling to my left.

  “If we had shown up a little earlier, we might still have a tree.” Margie circled right, her eyes on the remains of shredded wood as she shook her head. “Rather violent even by my standards, I must say.”

  “Hey, that tree had it coming,” I mumbled in my defense. I was pretty tired but still ready to rumble. I raised my sword and took a deep breath.

  “Oh, I’m sure it did.” Lindsey lunged with no warning, but I was still able to parry her cheap shot. I was getting used to her dirty tactics, and had even learned to respect them. Protect yourself at all times, isn’t that what they tell boxers? She knew how to keep me on my toes. I pushed off but she came right back at me, our swords clacking in steady rhythm.

  I deflected high, dropped to one knee, then raised my weapon up and back to block Margie’s sneak attack from behind with a hard crack. I dipped my shoulder and rolled between them. You both want to play dirty, eh? Good, that’s just how I like it!

  Despite their earlier attempt to get some clean hits on me, the ladies’ press was not all that urgent. They knew I was already exhausted, but didn’t seem to be looking to exploit that. Our weapons clacked and popped as I backed away, my blade dancing between both of theirs with a musical beat. I could probably keep this pace for hours if I wanted to.

  “Are you certain this is what Turner would have wanted?” Lindsey asked, her blade working lazily against mine. And there is was... They weren’t here to train at all. I was about to get a lecture. Groan...

  “If you mean would he want me to go on, to keep pushing myself to be the best that I can be and wear the Keeper title with a little pride, then yeah, I’m pretty sure this is what he wanted.” Irritated, I doubled the pace and started pressing back. The clacking intensified as both ladies retreated, their feet inching back each time mine moved forward. “But I imagine you see it differently, right? Is this supposed to be some sort of intervention?”

  My sword danced between
them as my offensive flurries came in bunches. It was enough to keep them moving backward, and that alone inspired me to push even harder. After a high double cross that would have knocked Lindsey out cold if she hadn’t ducked, I spun hard the other way, sending a hard kick at Margie’s face. She jerked back in time, but flashed me a most unappreciative look. Hey, if they wanted to spar, then we were going to do it at my speed.

  “You’re angry.” Margie took another step back and lowered her weapon.

  “Um, you think?”

  “Nobody blames you for what happened, Tessa.” Lindsey threw out a lazy stab, and I smacked it away with a flick of my blade. “But that doesn’t mean you should be taking it out—”

  “On defenseless trees, right?”

  “On yourself,” she finished calmly. “I know a thing or two about training hard. What you’re doing is...different.”

  “I’m testing my boundaries! Is that so—”

  “You’re punishing yourself.”

  Margie dropped her gaze and tossed her weapon to the ground. She couldn’t even look me in the eye. Lindsey nodded before dropping hers as well. I wanted to argue, to tell them both how stupid that sounded, but I couldn’t find my words. Maybe it was their body language, or the look in their eyes. Even if I didn’t really believe it, it was obvious that they did. That alone made me pause. Made me think...

  “We’ve got your back no matter what. Don’t you ever forget that.” Lindsey finally raised her head and looked me in the eyes. “But you’re no good to anyone if you’re dead.”

  “Oh yeah?” I felt a renewed surge of rage. “Well, it doesn’t seem like I’m much good to anyone alive either!”I lunged, driving my lightweight weapon straight at her face as hard as I could. But it dropped from my hand with a loud crack and a stinging vibration that rattled down into my hands and wrists. “Oww!” Glaring at Isaac, who had just appeared out of nowhere, I blew on my hot palms. Man, if looks could kill. “Just what do you think you’re—”